Chapter 112: Resident Evil 2 (End)

The moment the train sped out of the tunnel, the early morning wind blew into the carriage with a slight chill and moisture, dispersing the smell of blood and disinfectant that had lingered throughout the journey.

The distant skyline had already been dyed orange-red as the morning sun slowly rose.

But in the direction of Raccoon City, a massive column of black smoke loomed; the smoke rolled and surged into the clouds, staining half the sky a murky gray.

Those were the traces left by the NEST's explosion, and also the prologue to the city's destruction.

Washington D.C., Pentagon Command Center.

Thick bulletproof glass isolated the conference room from the outside world, and the air was filled with the pungent scent of cigar smoke mixed with coffee.

Secretary of Defense Supervisor Harris slammed an encrypted document onto the table, looking with a grim face at the man in the black suit on the screen before him.

"Are you threatening me?"

"It's not a threat, it's a notification." In The Ark meeting, K.D. picked up his coffee cup, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable firmness. "Supervisor Harris, the T-Virus leak has already caused a large-scale infection. If the situation is allowed to develop, all eyes will be focused on Raccoon City."

He put down the coffee cup and leaned forward slightly: "Raccoon City has now become a living hell, and the whole world is watching. If you still want to save the face of the U.S. government and continue developing bio-weapons, you must do as we say."

Supervisor Harris clenched his fists; he knew full well that K.D. was telling the truth. The Umbrella Corporation was no longer just a private enterprise; it had countless ties to the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. Once these dark secrets were exposed, the entire government would fall into a crisis of trust.

"I don't have the President's authorization!"

"His authorization isn't needed," K.D. said nonchalantly. "The Organization has already intervened. We have taken over The Ark; there's no need to follow standard procedures. Let Spencer take all the blame alone."

The conference room fell into a deathly silence. Supervisor Harris looked at the gloomy sky outside the window and let out a long sigh. He knew he had no choice.

"Issue an ultimatum to the Umbrella Corporation." He turned to his aide and said, "Give them until midnight on September 30th to hand over all virus samples and research data. Otherwise, on October 1st, the missiles will be launched on time."

An imperceptible smile played at the corner of K.D.'s mouth. He took out an encrypted phone, walked to the window, and dialed a number: "The plan is proceeding smoothly. In this way, the Umbrella Corporation will collapse, and we will take over everything of theirs."

The train slowly came to a halt at an abandoned freight station on the outskirts of Raccoon City.

The doors opened, and fresh air rushed in, but no one was in the mood to enjoy it. Everyone leaned against the carriage walls, gasping for breath. The relief of surviving the disaster lasted only a few seconds before being crushed by the weight of reality.

Annette leaned back in her seat, her face as pale as paper. Her wound was still seeping blood, and every breath brought intense pain, but her gaze remained fixed on Sherry, her eyes filled with guilt and reluctance.

Sherry held her hand tightly, her small face devoid of its former fear, replaced by a trace of strength that didn't belong to her age.

Angela remained curled up in the window seat, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping. But upon closer inspection, one could see her fingers twitching slightly, and her blue eyes would occasionally open a crack to steal a glance at Chloe.

Chloe stood by the door with her back to the others, her gaze fixed intently on Raccoon City in the distance, which was shrouded in thick smoke. Her long silver-white hair was disheveled by the wind, and she stood tall and straight.

"Where do we go next?" Leon rubbed his aching shoulders, breaking the silence. He was covered in wounds, his tactical suit was in tatters, and his face was stained with dried blood, making him look quite wretched.

Just as Claire was about to speak, Chloe's voice came through:

"You guys go. I'm going back."

Everyone was stunned.

"What did you say?" Claire stood up abruptly, looking at her in disbelief. "Chloe, are you crazy? Raccoon City is a hellhole right now. What are you going back for?"

"To find Jill." Chloe turned around, her eyes exceptionally determined. "She's still inside. I can't leave her behind."

"But..." Leon tried to say something, but was interrupted by Chloe.

"I know it's dangerous." Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable resolve. "But she is my only family in this world. If it weren't for her, I would have died in the Arklay Research Facility long ago. Now that she's in danger, I must go back."

"Then you can't go alone!" Claire said urgently. "We'll go back together!"

"No." Chloe shook her head. "You have more important things to do. Sherry needs someone to take care of her, Annette is seriously injured, and then there's Angela."

She walked over to Angela, looked at the little girl with a complex expression. Angela opened her eyes, looked at her, and reached out a small hand to grab the hem of her clothes.

"Leon, Claire, and Annette." Chloe looked up at the three of them. "Help me watch over her. In three days at most, I will definitely bring Jill back to find you."

Leon and Claire exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in each other's eyes.

"Alright." Leon sighed and took out all the remaining ammunition and first-aid kits from his backpack, handing them to Chloe. "Take all of these with you. Remember, come back alive. We'll wait for you in the nearby Raccoon City, until noon tomorrow at the latest. If you aren't back by then, we'll go in to find you."

"Thanks." Chloe took the items and stuffed them into her backpack.

Claire stepped forward and gave her a tight hug. "Be careful. If you encounter danger, don't force it. We'll wait for you."

"Yeah." Chloe nodded, her eyes reddening slightly. Sherry also stepped forward and took Chloe's hand.

Chloe knelt down, looked at Sherry, and said softly, "Sherry, be good and follow Sister Claire and Brother Leon, okay? I'll be back soon."

Sherry didn't say anything, but just gave her a hug. "Be careful, Sister."

Chloe patted Sherry's head without saying a word.

She stood up, took one last look at everyone, turned and jumped off the train, walking toward Raccoon City without hesitation. Her silver-white figure soon disappeared into the distant woods, leaving behind only a shrinking silhouette.

Leon and Claire led Sherry, Annette, and Angela along the highway, walking away from Raccoon City.

The highway was deserted; a few abandoned cars were parked by the roadside, their windows shattered and doors wide open, with no one inside. Occasionally, some luggage and miscellaneous items could be seen scattered by the road, but not a single soul was in sight.

The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the faint sound of explosions from afar.

Everyone was silent, their steps heavy. Having experienced the baptism of hell in Raccoon City, their worldview had been completely overturned.

Those monsters that only existed in games and movies, those inhumane human experiments, those conspiracies that didn't hesitate to sacrifice an entire city for profit—all of it had truly happened before their eyes.

"Do you think... the world outside will become like this too?" Sherry asked softly, clutching Claire's hand tightly.

Claire's heart tightened, but she still feigned composure and patted her head. "No, it won't. Raccoon City was just an accident. The world outside is still fine."

But she herself wasn't sure.

Umbrella Corporation's influence spread across the globe, and no one knew if they had similar laboratories elsewhere or if there were other virus leaks. If there really were, would the entire world become a second Raccoon City?

Leon also frowned, his heart full of confusion.

He was originally just a fresh police academy graduate who had come to Raccoon City with aspirations for the police profession, but he never expected to be greeted by such a nightmare.

He used to think the police were the embodiment of justice and heroes who protected the people, but now he knew how fragile justice was in the face of massive interests and power.

Irons' corruption, the Umbrella Corporation's cruelty, the government's cover-up... all of this made him deeply doubt the world.

They walked for about an hour, and the highway remained deserted. The sun rose higher and higher, yet it couldn't dispel the chill in everyone's hearts.

Just then, the roar of an engine came from the distance.

Everyone immediately became alert. Leon drew the handgun from his waist and stood in front of the group. Claire also gripped her revolver, shielding Sherry and Angela behind her.

The roar grew closer, and a tanker truck drove around the far corner.

The tanker driver was clearly taken aback when he saw a few people standing by the road, especially when he saw the tattered police uniform on Leon.

Then, he slowly raised a middle finger at Leon.

Then, the tanker accelerated past, splashing roadside mud and water, nearly hitting Leon.

Everyone was stunned.

Leon's hand holding the gun froze in mid-air, his face full of bewilderment.

Claire's eyes also widened, unable to believe what she had just seen.

After a few seconds, Leon slowly lowered his gun and couldn't help but laugh. As he laughed, his eyes turned red.

"So... are we safe?"

Yeah, safe.

If the world outside had also become like Raccoon City, the driver would have only fled in panic upon seeing them or driven straight into them. Instead of what he did now—showing a middle finger disdainfully to a police officer.

This middle finger proved better than any words that the world outside was still normal.

Claire also breathed a sigh of relief, her nerves, which had been tense for over ten hours, finally relaxing completely. She leaned against a utility pole by the road, looking at the deep blue sky in the distance, and tears couldn't help but flow down.

Annette watched this scene and also revealed a trace of a bitter smile; she hugged Sherry and wept in pain.

Angela looked up at the little birds flying in the sky, her eyes full of curiosity.

Only Leon, while smiling, turned his head to look in the direction of Raccoon City.

There, thick smoke was still billowing.

And in far-off Washington, intercontinental missiles had already been erected, aimed at that burning city.